Elijah
However, this year is strikingly different. A world-wide pandemic with millions affected and infected physically, economically, spiritually, emotionally coupled with city after city of protests certainly qualifies as a message of earthquake proportions.
What is difficult for me is not the message but the “what do you want of me, Lord?” response. I see so many good people, under the same constraints, reaching out. Young children are coming up with creative ways to help. Yet I am frequently reminded by others that staying home or going out masked while staying at a distance are the ways I am genuinely helping others. Yes, I reach out daily by phone, email or Zoom. That seems too simple. How can that be enough?
I respond to the protests by being in dialog with my African-American friends so I may comprehend better what racism feels like. I send emails to my congressional representatives. On the radio, one African-American man said he was discouraged and hurt by the fact that none of his white co-workers even brought up the topic of racism or asked how he felt.
What more, O Lord? What do you ask of me? Of us? What will history say of our response?
